Political speculation over a possible leadership change in Karnataka intensified on Thursday after Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot travelled to Madhya Pradesh amid reports of internal discussions within the Congress party.
Governor Gehlot arrived in Indore on Thursday morning before proceeding to his hometown Nagda following a reported family emergency. His travel came hours after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reportedly sought time to meet him.
The Governor had left Bengaluru on Wednesday night and travelled to Mumbai before flying to Indore early Thursday morning.
Breakfast meeting fuels speculation
The political developments gained further attention after Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attended a breakfast meeting hosted by Siddaramaiah at the Chief Minister’s official residence ‘Kaveri’ in Bengaluru.
Several senior Karnataka ministers, including Priyank Kharge, KJ George, MB Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and HK Patil, were also present during the meeting.
Speculation has been growing over a possible leadership transition in Karnataka, with Shivakumar widely seen as a potential successor to Siddaramaiah.
Congress denies leadership change reports
Reports of internal discussions within the Congress party emerged after senior leaders reportedly held separate meetings with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in New Delhi earlier this week.
The leadership debate is believed to centre around claims by Shivakumar’s supporters that he was promised the Chief Minister’s post during the 2023 Assembly elections.
However, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal dismissed reports of an immediate leadership change and stated that recent meetings in Delhi focused mainly on upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hinted that matters discussed with the party high command would be addressed soon, keeping political circles guessing over possible developments